


wild malice

by anyastasia



Category: Linked Universe - Fandom, The Legend of Zelda
Genre: Death, Live Write, Multi, Murder, very graphic proceed with caution, wild goes crazy and stupid
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-02-11
Updated: 2020-02-11
Packaged: 2021-02-28 05:55:22
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,850
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22658899
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/anyastasia/pseuds/anyastasia
Summary: wild becomes infected with malice, and must deal with the consequences of taking on this calamitous host
Relationships: Sky/Sun, Twilight/Midna (inferred)
Comments: 9
Kudos: 61





	wild malice

“You’ll want to keep that bandage on that scratch until it heals,” Sky said, lightly patting the clean white cotton that wrapped Wild’s ankle. The Chosen Hero gave Wild a knowing look. “That means be careful.” 

Wild rolled his eyes. “Okay, Mom,” he said, pulling his foot away from Sky. “It’s a scratch. I don’t know why you’re so worked up about it.”

“Scratches can get infected easily,” Sky reminded him. He began to scoop his medicinal supplies back into his bag. “We’ll be reaching Skyloft by tonight.” 

“Here he goes!” Warriors called from the other side of camp. 

Sky didn’t seem to hear him, as he lifted his eyes and batting his long eyelashes dreamily. “Oh, and that means I’ll see Sun,” he murmured. Chin on his hand, eyes raised to heaven, Sky could stay in that position all day, just dreaming about Sun — Wild had seen him do it. 

Wild rolled his eyes and scooped up his sword that was leaning against a tree stump. “I’m going to go see if any of those monsters are still around,” he called. His friends were scattered around their campsite, some of them nursing minor injuries similar to Wild’s scratch, organizing weapons or bags, or catching some much needed shut-eye against a tree or sprawled our next to the fire. Twilight was asleep with his head on Time’s lap, put to sleep by some tonic that Hyrule had whipped up. He had a small but deep wound in his side that had needed stitches, and Twilight was so bad around needles that they had to knock him out to do it. 

“Can I come?” Wind asked. He was nestled next to Four, who was dozing peacefully on the ground and using his bag as a pillow. The sailor hopped to his feet and grabbed his dagger without waiting for Wild’s response. 

Wild chuckled. “I guess I have to,” he said as Wind approached. He ruffled the younger boy’s hair, making him giggle. “If you see anything, go for it, bud. Maybe we can find some game we can bring down for dinner, too.”

The forest was quiet, animals sent down into their burrows or nests by the horde of monsters that had attacked the camp in the wee hours of the morning. Wind and Wild cut through the underbrush, checking for any trails the monsters may have left or any ones that were hiding. But they found nothing, which was a relief. 

“Do you think Sky’s Zelda will be all that he says she is?” Wind asked after half an hour of walking. Wild looked down at the younger hero in surprise. 

“You think Sky’s lying about his girlfriend?” He asked pointedly. Wind’s ears turned red. “No,” he sputtered. “It’s just — Sky talks her up *so much.* There’s no way any human is that perfect, you know?” 

“What does Sky tell you?” Wild asked. He slashed through some prickly bushes so they could slide through. 

Wind shrugged as they continued along. “That she’s practically Hylia reborn,” he said, making air quotes. “Isn’t it technically sacrilegious to compare someone to Hylia?”

Wild opened his mouth to agree when a thorny vine caught on his foot and sent him tumbling to the ground with an _oof_ He twisted around, prying the stupid vine off of him. The bandage was stuck firmly to the little plant, so he yanked it off with it. 

“Sky’s not going to like that you took off his bandage,” Wind said, raising his eyebrows. 

Wild kicked the rest of the vine away, hiding the stark white of the bandage away under some leaf litter. “Sky better man up in the space of a few hours, since it’s perfectly possible that not all of us will see Sun as Hylia reborn.”

They searched the whole perimeter, declaring it perfectly clear, but something made Wild want to stay out a bit longer. He glanced over at Wind, who had begun to lag behind. He remembered that they _had_ been woken up at two in the morning by monsters, and the sailor had barely gotten any sleep. He clapped a hand on Wind’s shoulder. 

“You go back to camp and snuggle up with Four, and get some sleep,” Wild said. “You look like the walking dead over there, bud.”

Wind hastily rubbed his eyes. “I’m fine,” he crowed. 

Wild shoved him lightly in the direction of the camp in a brotherly gesture. “Go, you goober. Sky’s going to be mad if you’re sleepwalking by the time we meet Sun.”

Wind shoved him back but trudged back to camp, and by the relaxed curve of his shoulders Wild could tell the boy was relieved to be given a break. Wild turned away from the sailor’s departing form and plunged deeper into the forest. 

It felt like something was _calling_ him deeper - but it didn’t feel like Flora’s warm voice that had whispered to him at the beginning of his journey. This entity was _begging_ him, _pleading_ with him to step closer. He stepped over a prickly bush and hopped over some spiderwebs, hating the threadlike feel of the fibers on his skin.

His foot rubberbanded back. Wild stumbled in surprise. Tugging on his foot was useless - he was stuck in something. He twisted around to look over his shoulder at an awkward angle. 

_Malice_?

Wild couldn’t deny it. His foot was encased in malice, and it was slowly creeping over the sole of his boot and up his foot. He tugged hard, before remembering about the eyes that controlled malice. He whipped around, pulling out his bow as he searched the underbrush. 

_There_.

He spied the ghastly yellow eye through the trees, staring at him and not blinking once. Wild raised his bow to shoot - but flinched and gasped as stinging pain shot up his leg. He ignored it and took aim again, before shooting an arrow directly through the eye. It spasmed before disappearing in a cloud of smoke. 

The resistance on his foot disappeared, and he stumbled forward. He glanced back at his foot, assessing any damage - only to see the wound on his ankle pulse red-and-black for a few seconds before returning to normal - red, a little swollen, with tiny fibers of cotton still stuck to the fermented skin.

Wild stared at his foot for a long time before lightly putting pressure on it. It seemed perfectly normal, as far as a slightly wounded ankle went. Perhaps some of the malice had touched his wound, but all of it had disappeared when he shot the eye? Wild decided to ignore the whole thing and head back to camp. Whatever had been calling him had stopped, anyways. Maybe it got scared off by the malice. 

He emerged back into camp, relieved to see Wind and Four sprawled over each other, with Wind’s hand on Four’s face and Four’s boot on the sailor’s chest. Wild chuckled to himself and walked over to Sky, who was polishing the Master Sword with a dreamy expression. 

“Can I have another bandage for my ankle?” Wild asked, snapping Sky out of his reverie. “I got caught on some thorns and it came off.”

Sky looked at him in surprise. “Uh, sure,” he said, rummaging around in his bag until he pulled out a roll of bandages. “It’s not like you to be so careful. Did anything happen?”

Wild opened his mouth to tell Sky about the malice, and how he had gotten caught in it - but all of a sudden his head spun and his lungs felt like they were on fire. “No,” he choked out, in a voice that, to him, didn’t sound like Wild at all. 

Sky didn’t seem to notice. “Oh, well, on that note, I’m giving everyone another hour of rest before we need to get going. If we want to sleep in actual beds tonight, we need to hit the road.”

Wild nodded and walked over to where Warriors was sitting and organizing the weapons in his bag. Wild sat down and wrapped his ankle while Warriors worked.

“Can you imagine how much serotonin Sky will have once we get to Skyloft?” Warriors pointed out. “He’s going to be on cloud nine for days. I’ll be surprised if we can get him to leave.”

Wild laughed. “I know, right?” He said. “He and Sun are really in love.”

Warriors stood, wiping dirt from his hands onto his breeches. “I’m going to go fill my flask from that river over there,” he said, jabbing a thumb at the forest behind him. Wild remembered finding the river with Wind; the boy must have told him about the river before he went to sleep.

“Mm,” Wild hummed, pressing the bandage down flat on his skin. Warriors trudged away, leaving Wild alone. 

Wild finished with the bandage and sat back, glancing over at the array of weapons Warrior had laid out on the ground. Swords, daggers, shields, bows and arrows. Pretty tame stuff for how Warriors talked himself up. 

Wild’s eyes fell on Warrior’s sword. His favorite one, not the rusty ones he carried around for _sentimental value_. Beautiful silver, blue leather wrapped around the handle, the handguard worn down from Warriors rubbing on it...it was a beautiful sword. 

Wild wanted it. 

He realized how easy it would be to steal it. Simply reach out and take it, slide it into his Sheikah Slate, and it would be gone. Nice and neat. Warriors would be furious to find his sword gone, yes, but would he ever find out?

A strange hunger clutched at Wild’s heart. Something only precious things could sustain. His eyes darted around camp. Seeing how Sky gazed at the Master Sword with love and respect made the hunger _scream_. If he didn’t fulfill it soon, he was sure it would devour him instead.

Wild glanced around. No one was looking. Wind and Four we’re still asleep. Twilight was still dozing, and Time’s back was turned. Legend and Hyrule were talking in low voices on the other side of camp, and Sky was finishing polishing his blade.

Wild tentatively reached out and grasped the handle of the sword. It was heavy, made for a hefty knight like Warriors, not a skinny thing like Wild. But he quietly slipped into into his Slate and rose to his feet, briskly walking away from the scene of the crime and over to the fire. Warriors wouldn’t suspect him if he was just making food, right?

The stolen sword was easing the hunger, but not by much. He wanted to see how satisfactory Warrior’s reaction would be. 

Wild didn’t glance up when Warriors returned, his flask full of water. He only reacted when Warriors flew back into his feet after going through his items. 

“Who the hell has my sword?” Warriors shouted. 

His alarm roused the camp. Legend and Hyrule looked over, confused. Twilight jerked awake, eyes wide and frazzled for a moment, until Time lightly touched his hair, and he relaxed. Four groaned and sat up, pushing Wind away with his foot. 

Sky looked up, eyes wide. “Your sword’s gone?” He asked, surprised.

Warrior’s eyes swept the camp until they landed on Wild. “ _You_.” he snarled, storming across camp towards Wild. Wild tensed, a lie already on his tongue, when Warriors pushed past him and grabbed Legend by the shirt. 

“It was you, you little hoarder,” Warriors snarled. “ _Give it up._ ”

Legend grabbed Warrior’s wrist, brows furrowed. “It wasn’t me,” he exclaimed. “I’ve been sitting here the whole time! Hyrule can vouch for me!”

“Oh, he’s in on it too, you bitch!” Warriors shouted, shaking Legend slightly. “I don’t care what kind of lies you spin. You won’t fool me.”

Wild tore his eyes away from the scene, feeling a smile tug at his lips. Seeing Warrior’s desperation and Legend’s fear was so _funny_. Having that much desire for a material object? Why, Wild found it-

Wild shook his head violently, dispelling the sinful thoughts. 

_Get out of my head_. He thought to himself. His hands tightened around the soup ladle he held over the fire. 

_Oh, I know you enjoy it._ The dark, deep voice rumbled. _Your friends will slowly fall apart. It’ll be so much fun_.

 _I don’t want you in my head_. Wild thought firmly. _Unless you can somehow help us defeat the Shadow-_

 _Ah, exactly!_ The voice said joyfully. _I can make everything as it once was. Back to normal. But only if you let me help, little knight._

Wild stared down at the cooking pot. He was aware of his hands shaking. Sky was with Warriors and Legend now, trying to calm them down.

 _I know you’re thinking about it,_ the voice said smugly. 

_Everything back to how it once was?_ Wild thought after a pause. _You promise?_

 _On my life,_ the voice promised sweetly. _Everything will be back to normal._

Wild raised his eyes. _Fine. Help me put everything back to the way it was_.

“ _Stop this,_ ” Sky begged, dragging Warriors off of Legend, calling Wild out of his deal. “We’ll find your sword, alright? Just take a deep breath, sweetheart. Go sit down.”

Warriors staggered off to go sit with his items, a look of pure fury still painting his face. He looked like he wanted to murder someone. 

“Let’s get going, guys,” Sky called, glancing at Warriors hesitantly. “Skyloft awaits.”

The rest of the day was a blur. The group left the campsite soon after the squabble between Warriors and Legend, and everyone was tense and quiet for the whole trip. Wild let the voice - rather, the _malice_ \- take over on autopilot for most of the journey. 

Wild only came to when Sky stopped and whistled one long, continuous note. It was quiet for a while, before a honking call came from above, and huge red bird dived down and landed before Sky, nuzzling right up to him. Sky laughed and gripped the bird’s beak. “I’ve missed you,” he said to the birds stroking its feathers lovingly. 

“ _That’s_ what a loftwing is?” Hyrule asked, eyes wide. “I was expecting something more...um...”

“Dramatic?” Four finished for him. 

Hyrule flushed. “Yeah.” He mumbled, looking at his feet. 

Sky smiled at the group. “Loftwings are a big part of Skyloftian life,” he explained. “Every man, woman, and child has one. It’s the only way to get around.”

“Well, you have a bird,” Twilight pointed out. “How are we supposed to get up there if we don’t have a loftwing?”

Sky smiled and turned back to his bird. “Go get your friends,” he whispered, before releasing the bird and watching it wing away into the clouds. A minute later, it returned, eight colorful birds in its wake. 

“Here we go!” Sky shouted, spinning on his heel and running away from the approaching birds. He jumped at the last moment, right onto his loftwing’s back, and shot away into the sky. 

“WHAT THE FUCK!” Wind screamed as a loftwing grabbed him by the back of the shirt and flung him into the air, landing on the birds back. Twilight grabbed onto one as it flew by and was swept off his feet. Four’s eyes were wide and he was backing away from one that seemed to have targeted him, edging closer and snapping at him every so often.

Wild spied a loftwing that had not yet been claimed by anyone. He ran over and grasped onto the saddle on his back, and it took to the air. Wild’s eyes streamed from the cold air, and he was reminded fondly of using Revali’s Gale. He wasn’t sure where the loftwing was taking him as they sped into the clouds, but as soon as they broke through, the sight of Skyloft took Wild’s breath away. 

The loftwing deposited him onto a landing dock where Sky and Twilight already were. Wind’s loftwing landed and practically threw the sailor down before flying away, its feathers ruffled. 

Each Link was deposited safely onto the dock, and by the time Four (who had tried to run from his loftwing) was standing firmly on the ground, Sky was practically jumping out of his own skin.

“Let’s go, let’s go!” He exclaimed, jumping up and down. He turned and ran away into central Skyloft, not even waiting for the others. 

Wild and the others ran after him, dodging civilians and loftwings alike. They followed Sky up multiple flights of steps until they ended up at some sort of outside temple, a huge statue of the goddess Hylia swamping the area. Sky slowed as he mounted the last flight of stairs. Wild caught up to him but stayed back. Was Sky _nervous_?

At the base of the statue stood a girl playing a lyre. She was beautiful, Wild has to admit. Long, sunflower hair and wide eyes full of knowledge. Her white dress was simple, and she could easily be mistaken for a peasant girl unless you looked at the way she held herself. Her shoulders were back, and she stood tall. Her fingers were long and dainty, and she didn’t have the large, buff build of the civilians Wild had seen. 

This was Sun, and Wild could see why Sky called her heaven.

Sky stopped at the crest of the stairs, barely moving. Sun was so engrossed in her lyre that it took her a few moments to see Sky standing there. But her reaction couldn’t be more raw and real. Her hands froze and the lyre clattered to the ground. The two stared at each other before Sun burst into tears and ran towards Sky. 

Sky ran faster than Wild had ever seen him move towards Sun. Wild got a rushing sense of déjà vu, as if this exact encounter had happened before. 

Sun stumbled on the last step and fell into Sky’s arms, clutching onto him and sobbing. Sky held her just as tight, his hand holding a fistful of her hair while the other grasped her upper back. They both collapsed together onto their knees, both weeping messes. 

Wild heard exclamations and coos of love from around him, and he would’ve joined in, but that hunger he had felt for Warrior’s sword and the Master Sword was taking over again. His breathing sped up and his senses heightened. His gaze was fixed on Sun like a hunter sees its prey on the receiving end of its arrow. 

Wild had never seen such love before. He wanted to squash it out like a bug, stomp on it and rub it out onto the ground until there was nothing left. And seeing the way Sky and Sun stared at each other, touching each other’s face and necks and hands, Wild could barely contain himself. 

He was a rabid animal, and Sky and Sun were the prey.

Sky and Sun helped each other to their feet, and then Sky swept Sun into an elaborate kiss, cradling her head and back. Sun had both hands on either side of Sky’s face, and Wild could tell she was trying not to smile into the kiss. 

Exclamations of “aww” and “get it, Sky!” and “this is the good kush” rose from the group. Time slapped a hand over Four and Wind’s eyes. Twilight was staring at the scene with what seemed like jealousy. Legend was laughing. 

Sky and Sun soon stood upright again and shared a few quiet words, never taking their eyes off of each other. Sun’s hand was on Sky’s chest, and Sky still had his hand in her hair. Wild nearly wanted to _choke_.

“Everyone, this is Sun,” Sky said, finally tearing his eyes away from her to look at the group. The group chimed their hellos. 

“So you’ve been babysitting this whole time?” Sun asked, looking up at Sky and raising an eyebrow. When Sky flushed bright pink and sputtered to find a response, Sun laughed and kissed him, shutting him up. 

“You should have sent me a letter, telling me you were coming home,” she continued. “I could have made you dinner.”

“Sun, you’ll be making me plenty of dinners yet,” Sky said, as he dropped onto one knee. Sun shrieked and slapped her hands to her mouth, eyes wide. 

“Zelda, you’ve made my life so amazing,” Sky began. Wild could see tears filling his eyes. “You are the most perfect being in this universe. You are Hylia reborn, and I never thought I could ever be worthy of you. I’m still not, but I’ll still ask you this - Princess Zelda, will you marry me?”

Sun was near hysterical as she seized Sky’s hand and jumped up and down, screaming “Yes! Yes! Yes!” as she laughed. Sky stood and swept her into a giant hug, lifting her off the ground. 

The little group of onlookers cheered, Wind and Four jumping up and down in excitement. Time was smiling, a rare occurrence. Twilight shrank into himself, looking away. Legend was leaning on Hyrule for support as he laughed even harder. 

Wild stared at the happy couple, unmoving. His eyes were wide, and his chest still rose and fell rapidly. 

He wanted to take his sword and cut them down. Soak in their love, their terror, and bask in it. Could their love along soothe this hunger inside him? Could it be that strong? 

Wild looked down at his hands. His vision blurred, and when he blinked, his hands were covered in blood. He gasped and blinked several times, and when he opened his eyes again, his hands were clean. 

“You okay there?” Warriors asked, and Wild looked over at him. The taller knight was grinning. “Seem a little lost there. Might want to participate if you want Sky to pick you as his best man, ha!”

Wind broke away from the group and ran up to Sky, swamping him in a hug. The rest of the group followed, enveloping the two in a huge hug. Wild didn’t move. He stood at the top of the steps, watching with the same grim expression. 

Oh, yes. The love of these pitiful souls could cleanse the universe itself.

That night, the group gathered at Sun’s father’s house for dinner. Sun’s father was a kind, wise old man, who was delighted to learn of Sun and Sky’s engagement. He whipped up a delicious dinner, which the group thankfully devoured quickly. 

Wild simply picked at his food. He was _starving_ \- but not for real food. He could barely even look at Sky or Sun. His head screamed with hunger, making him feel nauseous. 

He excused himself from the table, hurrying back to the room he would be sharing with Warriors. As soon as he shut the door he stumbled to his knees, clutching his head. 

“Stop - Stop torturing me!” Wild hissed between his teeth. The malice was stabbing his brain with painful talons. Why had he ever agreed to this?

 _It’s too late to change your mind now,_ the malice chuckled. _You made this deal. This will only stop once I’ve fulfilled my promise - putting everything back to normal._  
  
Wild stared at the floor for a few moments. “I need to make the pain stop,” he wheezed. “You’ll kill me.”

 _Finally, you’re getting it,_ the malice chastised. _You need to steal all of this love around you, little knight. It’s the only thing that will get me enough power to help you._

Wild’s chest rose and fell rapidly. “What do you want me to do?” He asked weakly. He knew he would dread the answer. 

The malice confirmed his worst fears. Whispering, it told him its plan. Wild choked on his breath and hung his head. But if he did not fulfill its request, he would die, and peace would never return.

Wild stayed in his room until dinner ended, sitting on his bed and contemplating what was going to happen. He didn’t want to go through with the malice’s plan at all. He knew it was wrong - so, so wrong. But if he did it, it would be enough power for the malice to restore peace, and who could argue with that? What would one little slip up matter in the grand scheme of things?

Warriors walked in after a while. He looked at Wild in surprise. “You okay there, chief?” The older knight asked hesitantly. “You look like you’ve seen hell.”

 _You have no idea,_ Wild thought, but just looked away out the window, at the setting sun. 

Warriors stood there awkwardly before sitting down on his bed and prying off his boots. “Sun and Sky said they’re going to get married tomorrow,” he said. “Sky picked Hyrule to be his best man. Makes me wonder, though, does Sun already have a dress? Are they going to go shopping tomorrow, like, hours before the ceremony?”

Warrior’s chatter continued until he bedded down to sleep. Wild wouldn’t be sleeping tonight - half because of his nerves, and half because of what he had to do.

Wild stayed sitting on his bed until the moon rose high into the sky. Warriors was a hard sleeper. Wild needn’t worry about him. He had found calm halfway through the night. In fact, he hardly felt anything anymore. Was it a side effect of the malice? No more emotions?

He slid off of his bed and reached for the Sheikah Slate. He gave himself three weapons to get the job done - a sword and two knives. He didn’t bring a shield; who would dare oppose him once he brought peace to every Hyrule?

Wild crept past Warriors and out into the hall. It was deathly quiet. No one stirred as Wild slid past their rooms. He made his way to the other side of the house, his footsteps light and silent against the stones. 

He reached the room at the other side of the house. He lightly turned the knob and opened it, careful not to make the hinges creak. 

He approached the bed slowly, watching his shadow cast across the blankets from the moonlight streaming in through the window. 

When he stopped, his shadow stopped too. He loomed over his victim, his instruments of death clutched in his shaking hands. 

_Sun_.

The princess did not stir as he slowly drew his knife. She slept like a baby, one hand cradling her cheek. Her golden hair splayed out across her pillow like a halo. She looked angelic in the moonlight. 

Wild picked up the corner of the blanket, drawing it back. Sun was in a nightgown. Nothing protecting her. She was such an easy kill. 

Wild regarded the knife he held. With one swift stab, he could end her life but save so many others. One life for the price of millions...wasn’t it worth it?

 _Don’t be having second thoughts now,_ the malice crowed. _You agreed to this. You must kill her. It’s the only way to restore the peace._

Wild was aware of how much his breathing was shaking. _Just her,_ he thought. _Just her, and that’s it? No more killing? No more murder? Then our deal is done?_

 _You doubt me?_ the malice asked. _I made you a promise. I am not one to break such vows._

Wild took a deep, trembling breath. _Fine_ , he thought. _I’ll do your dirty work._

Wild lifted the knife and plunged it deep into the Princess of Skyloft’s stomach.

Sun’s scream was the most alarming part. He was not expecting her to be alive for this part. Blood fountained out of the wound as he yanked the knife out, backing up. 

Sun was writhing around, clutching her stomach and shrieking. Blood was already dripping out of her mouth and nose. Blood was _everywhere_ \- on her sheets, on her nightgown, in her hair, dripping down onto the floor. Wild couldn’t remember the last time he saw someone bleed that much. 

Sun’s spasms got weaker the more she struggled. Wild watched with a blank expression as he stared up at him with huge blue eyes, bubbles of blood choking her and popping on her lips. She trembled once and then fell still, one hand on her stomach, the other outstretched towards Wild. The only movements in the room were Sun’s own death spasms. 

As soon as the light left Sun’s eyes, Wild cried out in pain and sank to his knees. He clutched his head, gasping. The malice had taken hold, the craving it held for love fulfilled tenfold. He stared down at his hands as his veins turned red and black. His eyes burned, and inky black tears spilled out and stained his cheeks. His skin cracked, leaving valleys of red and black in between. His nails grew long and wickedly sharp. His vision turned red. 

His senses heightened as he heard running footsteps in the hall. The door banged open, and Wild snapped his head around to stare at the intruder. 

Sky’s scream of horror should have broken the heavens apart.

“WHAT - WHAT DID YOU DO?!” Sky screamed. His eyes were wide, and his skin was deathly pale. He wore no armor, but his sailcloth was still wrapped around his shoulders. 

Wild grinned. His teeth were deathly sharp. “ **I’m going to restore everything,** ” he snarled in a voice that did not belong to him. “ **Everything is going to go back to the way it once was.** ” 

Sky’s expression was one of rage that Wild had never seen him wear. The air around him crackled with energy, and suddenly the Master Sword materialized in his hand. It was alive with a blinding light, swamping the whole room. 

With a scream of fury, Sky descended on Wild with the wrath of a god. Wild unsheathed his sword and met his blow evenly. His feet dug into the ground as he pushed against the weight of the Master Sword. He pushed Sky away and hurled a knife at him, grinning as it sank into the Chosen Hero’s shoulder. 

Sky gasped and stumbled, but hefted the Master Sword and charged again. Wild narrowed his eyes as he parried the blow; he would have to make quick work of Sky. The others were on their way. 

He kicked Sky squarely in the chest and he stumbled back, and Wild kicked his wrist as well, sending the Master Sword tumbling to the ground. Lashing out with one final blow, Wild slashed his sword across Sky’s throat.

Sky fell to the ground, already dead as his eyes rolled back into his head. He fell with a thump, head lolling to the side. 

Wild picked up the Master Sword, gazing at it with a vacant expression. He flipped it around in his hands for a moment, getting a feel for the blade. It fit nicely in his newly-clawed hands. 

“ _Wild_?” came a voice from the doorway. Wild turned slowly, watching with joy as the expression on Four’s face changed from one of confusion to horror. The smaller boy’s eyes swept the scene in front of him - Sun and Sky’s corpses, Wild’s bloody sword, the Master Sword clutched firmly in his grasp. 

Four’s eyes widened. “Wild, no,” he whispered.

Wild rolled his eyes and threw his remaining knife. It hit Four cleanly between the eyes and the boy collapsed, dead on impact. 

A shriek from the hallway announced the arrival of another hero. Hyrule crouched down next to Four’s dead body, hands flitting around his head. The hero didn’t even seem to be aware of Wild walking over. Wild plunged the Master Sword into Hyrule’s back and let him slump down on top of Four. Blood was draining from Sun, Sky, Four, and Hyrule’s bodies, making the floor slippery and glossy. Wild was energized by the metallic smell.

Wild decided to step into the hallway for his next victim. He needed to spread out the crime scene. Warriors appeared as if he had been summoned. He fell on Wild with a cry of outrage, their swords meeting with a crash. They tussled across the blood-soaked floor, until Warriors stumbled over Four’s motionless body and Wild put the Master Sword through his heart. 

He pulled the sacred blade out from Warrior’s corpse and caught Time’s attack from the back with his other sword. He turned to look at the older warrior. Time’s face contorted into one of horror when he saw what Wild had become. 

“Three goddesses,” he whispered, his voice trembling. “What kind of demon are you?”

Wild twisted the Master Sword around and thrust it into Time’s abdomen. The hero of time gasped, eyes wide and blood dribbling out of his mouth. 

“ **I’m your worst nightmare,** ” Wild whispered with a grin. He twisted the Master Sword and Time crumpled to the ground, dead. 

Legend was much less discreet about his approach. He screamed in rage as he bolted down the hall, brandishing a sword. Wild caught the blow and easily stabbed him with both swords at once, through his stomach. 

“ **Nice try, little legend,** ” Wild snarled. 

Legend coughed up a clot of blood. “You’ll never get what you want,” he wheezed. “You _bitch_.”

Wild yanked the swords out of him and Legend collapsed, dying slowly. Wild recounted who was left. 

_Two heroes left. Where could they be?_

His thought was answered as Wind’s silhouette filled the hallway.

Wind’s dark eyes were wide. He didn’t look down at the bodies of his former friends and mentors, but instead kept his eyes on Wild. 

“Wild,” he said hesitantly. “This isn’t you.”

Wild turned slowly. His eyes were trained on Wind’s wiry, skinny frame. How easy it would be to plunge a sword through his chest and see it come out the other side, dark with blood. 

Wind took a half-step backwards. He raised his hands out in front of him. “Please, Wild,” he begged. “Listen to me.”

“ **Wild is gone,** ” Wild hissed. He took a threatening step towards Wind. His swords dragged on the ground behind him, making a sound like nails on a chalkboard as the edge slid against the cobblestones. “ **There is only Malice now.** ”

“Wild, you like stories, right?” Wind said, his eyes becoming glossy with tears. “Let me tell you a story.”

“ **Silence, you insufferable child,** ” Wild growled, swinging his arm back and throwing his sword with all his might. Wind ducked and the sword missed him by a hair, slamming into the doorpost next to his head. 

“Once upon a time there was a hero,” Wind cried. He stumbled backwards as Wild advanced towards him. “Everyone loved him. He was a knight. A big, strong knight. He wanted to get rid of all of the evil in the world.”

Wild reached out and yanked the sword from the doorpost. Wind staggered back a few more steps. 

“The hero had a little brother,” Wind continued. Tears dripped down his face and darkened the ground. “His little brother loved the hero. He looked up to him so much. He wanted only the best for his brother.”

The malice inside of Wild rolled as Wild - real, normal Wild - screamed and pressed up against his writhing prison. Wild stopped for a moment, eyes glazing over, before they returned to normal - blood red.

“The hero turned evil one day,” Wind continued, his voice getting choked up. “Everyone thought he was a lost cause. Everyone except his brother.”

 _GET OUT OF MY HEAD!_ Wild screamed. He slashed at the red and black vines that were slowly choking him. _WIND! PLEASE! I HEAR YOU!_

“His brother helped the hero get better,” Wind said softly, his volume dropping. “Only because his brother loved him so much. Only because his brother was the only one that still saw good in him.”

Wind held out a shaking hand. 

“Please,” he wheezed, his voice breaking. “Wild, come back.”

Wild froze, staring down at Wind’s outstretched hand. 

His eyes flickered, their true, aquamarine blue breaking through the red. Wild screamed internally from the effort as his hand reached out for Wind’s, fingers trembling.

Wind smiled as he tentatively reached out. Their fingertips brushed. 

Wild’s fingers wrapped around Wind’s wrist, tighter than any rope. 

_NO_! Wild shrieked. 

Wild twisted his sword around and plunged it into Wind’s ribs. 

Wind gasped, still gazing up into Wild’s eyes. 

Wild yanked the sword back out, releasing the boy to stumble and fall into the ground. He moved to sheathe his sword, but glanced over his shoulder as a shadow fell over him. 

Twilight, in his monstrous wolf form, descended on Wild like a cat pounces on a mouse. Twilight’s paws slammed down onto Wild’s back and shoved him to the ground. He howled in fury as he snapped at Wild’s head - but Wild stabbed up and nicked his leg. Twilight yelped and released Wild, and Wild rolled out of the way. 

Wild braced himself for an attack - but the only thing he felt was a rush of air as Twilight rushed past. He opened his eyes, watching as Twilight seized Wind by the collar of his shirt in his mouth, swung him up into his back, and disappeared into a cloud of black smoke.

Wild sat sprawled on the floor for a few moments, catching his breath. The Wild that had tried to rebel against the malice deep down inside twitched and died, tendrils of malice leaving deep bruises on his throat. 

_Everything back to the way it once was,_ Wild thought, and a horrible smile grew on his face. The ground tumbled and cracked, and Skyloft shook. Malice crawled out of the crevices and seeped into homes, gardens, and temples. Wild strode our of the blood-soaked house to the giant statue of Hylia, where Sun had stood alive and healthy mere hours earlier. 

Wild watched as malice crawled up the statue and then watched it crumble into dust. He grinned, walking forward as the malice woven into a giant throne where the statue once stood. A crown of pulsing, red and black tendrils wrapped around his head. 

He took his seat on his throne as he watched Skyloft be overtaken. 

_Exactly how it once was,_ Wild thought, and a ghost of a smile played on his lips.

_epilogue;_

Twilight gasped as he zapped back into human form, and collapsed onto the soft green grass of the surface. He coughed and wheezed. He had never attempted such a far teleportation while in wolf form, especially carrying such cargo. 

He twisted around and found Wind sprawled on the ground a few feet away. Twilight scrambled over, turning him over. 

The sailor was pale, his eyelids fluttering open and closed. The wound in his side looked terrible. Twilight thought he could see some of his ribs through the gore. 

“Wind,” Twilight choked out. 

“I couldn’t save Wild,” Wind whispered softly. A breeze stirred his golden hair. “I couldn’t do it.”

“Wind, shh,” Twilight murmured. Tears dripped down from his face and onto Wind’s shoulder. “Save your strength.”

A tear rolled down Wind’s cheek. “Save Wild,” he whispered hoarsely. “Please. Twi, promise to help him.”

Twilight remembered the mangled corpses of his friends, and how much blood had coated the floor. How Time would never return home to Malon. How he would never hear Legend’s goofy laugh again. How Warriors would never rejoin Artemis and Impa to plow down scores of enemies at once. 

All because of the very person Wind wanted to save. 

“I’ll try,” Twilight vowed. He held onto Wind’s hand tight. 

“No,” Wind whispered as his eyes glazed over. “ _You will._ ”

The sailor fell still, and Twilight pressed his little hand to his forehead, and let tears fall.

Twilight sat for a long time next to Wind’s little body. He couldn’t find the resolve in him to move away. He just stayed hunched over next to him, weeping into his knees. 

If he had only moved faster...maybe if he had gotten to Wind and Wild earlier...if Twilight had been paying more attention to Wild before...Wind would still be alive. 

Twilight poked his eyes over his arms as he was washed with an ethereal green light. He gasped and scrambled backwards at the sight. 

Wind was surrounded by green flames, and a beautiful Zora girl cradled the boy in her lap. She smiled warmly as she brushed his hair out of his face. “It would be my pleasure,” she whispered, and then faded from view, as well as the fire. 

Twilight gaped at Wind, who didn’t move. Then he gasped, eyes flying wide as he vaulted up onto his elbows. The wound on his side stitched neatly shut, leaving a pale pink scar. 

“Wind!” Twilight cried, throwing his arms around the smaller boy. Wind clutched onto Twilight’s fur wrap, breathing heavily. 

They pulled away after a few minutes, Twilight cradling Wind’s face. 

“Are you going to keep your promise?” Wind asked hoarsely. 

“Wind - he _killed_ you,” Twilight said reproachfully. 

“He needs help,” Wind said. “Please, Twilight. You _promised_.”

Twilight raised his head to look up at the moon. Was Midna watching him right now? If so, he has to make the right choice. 

“Yeah,” he sighed. “Yeah, I guess I did. And I can’t break a promise.”

**Author's Note:**

> this little personal hell was whipped up in the extreme lw channel of the LU discord after I was listening to some good old Halsey songs. a huge thank you to everyone who was at the original live write and screamed every time I killed someone! luv y’all! <3


End file.
